Live Longer With Nuts

No, this is not an article on coping with your more
interesting family members. Instead, this is a review of some interesting
research on the benefits of eating nuts. Yes, eating nuts. Every day. Boom!
Nuts will extend your lifespan!

Admittedly, this was not an expected outcome. It is not
intuitive that eating a handful of nuts could result in a longer and healthier
life. That is exactly what some research out of the Dana-Farber Cancer
Institute suggests.

Nearly 120,00 men and women volunteered to be in a 10-14
year study that looked at diet, exercise, lifestyle and life span. Every few
years, the volunteers completed a survey on their eating, exercise and health
habits. The results formed the basis for this report.

On average, people who eat nuts every day have a 20%
lower chance of dying than people who don’t eat nuts. That includes an 11%
lower chance of dying from cancer and a nearly 30% lower chance of dying from
heart disease.

The research did not prove that nuts were actually responsible for
the extended lifespan. The researchers noticed that people who ate nuts every
day also typically took a multivitamin, didn't smoke, and enjoyed fresh fruits
and vegetables. All of these lifestyle habits are tied to better health and longer
life. An additional correlation that wasn't intuitive was their observation
that nut lovers were also less likely to be obese. Yet another trait tied to
lifespan. So were the nuts the key, or just a symptom of living a healthy lifestyle? This research did not answer that question.

So treat yourself to a handful of nuts every day. It
might not save your life, all by itself, but it can’t hurt!